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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26467321">Domesticity: A Recipe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/stickers_on_a_laptop/pseuds/stickers_on_a_laptop'>stickers_on_a_laptop</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chefs and their Freelance Faens [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hotel Stars สูตรรักนักการโรงแรม | Hotel Stars: The Series (TV), Mini Series Ingredients</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cameos, M/M, Same story different POV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:35:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,922</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26467321</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/stickers_on_a_laptop/pseuds/stickers_on_a_laptop</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Win, on one of his gigs, meets Neung. Friendship occurs.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Neung/Kay, Win/Tops</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Chefs and their Freelance Faens [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1921078</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rush Rush Rush...Wait Wait Wait</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the same story again, just written from Win and Tops' point of view, since they wouldn't shut up after I wrote the first story and demanded to have their point of view shown.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>       Win woke up to an empty room and his alarm blaring in his ear. He groaned and turned off the alarm, about to go back to sleep, when he remembered the reason the alarm was going off in the first place. He threw off the blanket and went to his closet, putting on the clothes Tops had put in front the night before. He ran down the stairs, planning on getting out the door as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>      “Win, what are you doing?” Tops called from the kitchen. “Why are you in such a rush?”</p>
<p>      “My gig! The one that definitely won’t be falling through or getting cancelled last minute! I have to go! The bus!”</p>
<p>      “Win. Relax. Your gig isn’t for another three hours. You can eat breakfast before you go.” </p>
<p>      Win stopped and considered Tops’ words. He decided that Tops was right, he could eat breakfast, but he would have to leave after that. After washing his hands, Win threw himself in his seat at the table, pouting at being made to stay.</p>
<p>     “Win, you’re being dramatic” Tops said gently.</p>
<p>     “You know how much this means to me! I get to play at a store opening! A big one!” Win said incredulously.</p>
<p>     “I know, but you’ll play better with food in your stomach” Tops reminded him, putting a plate of bacon and eggs in front of Win. He stood there with his arms crossed until Win started grudgingly eating, then smiled and got out a glass of juice for him and Win.</p>
<p>     “What about you, why aren’t you eating?” Win asked accusingly.</p>
<p>     “I ate earlier”</p>
<p>     “Hmph” Win made a face as he kept eating. Once his plate was cleared, Win grabbed his guitar to leave, only to be stopped by Tops at the door.</p>
<p>     “What now?” Win asked exasperatedly, throwing his hands up and nearly hitting Tops with his guitar. Tops ducked and put his hands on Win’s shoulders.</p>
<p>     “Good luck today” Tops said solemnly. “I’m sorry I can’t come, but you know my class has a lab today. Hopefully next time”</p>
<p>     Win couldn’t help but stare at Tops. How did he get so lucky? Mustering up his courage, he quickly kissed Tops on the cheek and ran out the door.</p>
<p>    “See you later bye!” Win called as he rushed out.</p>
<p>     Tops smiled fondly at Win’s rapid departure. He went back to the table and cleared it, mentally going over what he had to do that day. He had a cooking lab, and he wanted to go to the market if possible. Other than that, the day was fairly clear. He hung up the apron he was wearing and got ready to walk to the university.</p>
<hr/>
<p>      Win was waiting impatiently for the bus that would take him to the department store, bouncing up and down on his feet. It seemed to be taking longer than usual, but it was only eight minutes later when the bus came. Win got on and paid, but was discouraged when he noticed that all the seats were taken. No wait, someone scooted over, so Win gratefully took the seat offered. He was sitting next to a guy who looked about the same age as him, maybe a tiny bit taller. While the unknown guy looked out the window, Win mentally went over chords. He wasn’t too nervous, but it never hurt to be prepared. When it was his stop, Win reached over to pull the cord, apparently startling the guy next to him. As he got off, the guy next to him followed him out. Win thought nothing of it, but as he didn’t know the area, he figured he could ask this guy where the department store was.</p>
<p>     “Hey do you know wh-“ Win tried asking, only to be interrupted.</p>
<p>     “Where is-“</p>
<p>     “Are you going to the department store opening?” the other guy asked.</p>
<p>     “Yup, I am” answered Win with a smile. “I’m playing some of my songs, how about you?”</p>
<p>     “I’m one of the models, showing off the clothes they’ll be selling” the other replied. “I’m Neung, by the way.”</p>
<p>    “Win” was what Win said as he stuck out his hand.</p>
<p>    “Well, we can help each other find it” Neung said as he shook Win’s hand. The two looked at Neung’s phone and figured out where they had to go. As they walked, they chatted about how they found the gig—Win’s friend Peter had heard about it and told him, while Neung heard it from some acquaintance named Valen—and how they hoped it wouldn’t take too long. Both of them were used to having gigs go through and found themselves talking easily. As they drew closer, Win’s phone rang.</p>
<p>    “Sorry, I should answer this” Win said apologetically. </p>
<p>     “Of course” Neung answered easily.</p>
<p>     When Win saw who was calling, his face softened and a shy smile crossed his face.</p>
<p>     “Hi Tops, what’s up? Why are you calling?”</p>
<p>     “My friends in the cooking class want to go out to celebrate one of their birthdays, but I won’t be home until at least eight o’clock if I go”</p>
<p>     “Oh? Not until 8? This should be done by 4, 4:30, so I’ll go out to eat, okay?”</p>
<p>     “I can cook you something, I don’t have class for another hour—“ Tops offered.</p>
<p>     “No, don’t cook me anything! I will just get something to eat from somewhere near the gig, okay?” Win was adamant. Tops did too much for him and he could eat out and let Tops relax.</p>
<p>     “Are you sure? If that’s what you want. Text me if plans change, okay?”</p>
<p>     “Yes, I’ll text you when it’s over. Okay, see you later.” </p>
<p>     “Apparently I’m eating out tonight” joked Win as he put his phone away.</p>
<p>     “Actually, I was going to as well, since there won’t be anyone home when I get there either. Want to get something together?” Neung offered.</p>
<p>     “Sure, do you want to give me your number so we can find each other after the gig?” </p>
<p>     Neung held out his phone, so Win took it and put his number in. Neung showed him that he had called him so that he could easily get the number later. </p>
<hr/>
<p>     When the two got to the department store, they looked around, confused. It was Win who saw the “models go here” sign, while Neung spotted the “musicians meet upstairs” sign. They pointed out where to go, then split. Win went up the stairs and followed the signs to the store’s small indoor cafe. There, he found two other groups of musicians, and a female soloist who was also holding a guitar. He sat down across from her and fiddled with his guitar case. Win was not good with waiting, so he was glad when a young woman with a high forehead and very straight hair came in and asked for their attention.</p>
<p>    “Hello, I’m P’Pin, and I’m here to tell you the order you’ll be performing in. First, Passara Sirikajorn?”</p>
<p>    The girl holding the guitar held up her hand. P’Pin nodded and checked her name off a list. She then called the groups, who confirmed they were indeed there. The girl group would be after the soloist, while the boy band would be after the models did the runway. </p>
<p>     “And Marwin Opartiettikul? You’ll be last, after the second group”</p>
<p>     Win nodded, slightly disappointed that he would have to wait quite a while, but he also knew that being last was a compliment. </p>
<p>     “You will all play 3 songs, okay? Whichever songs you like. You may watch the others as they perform, but be ready to perform before the third song is over. When the models go, make sure all your stuff is off the stage, or you will get in trouble. The mics have been checked already, so we should be good to go. None of you have electronic instruments, right? Okay, good. Follow me, please. Bring all your stuff”</p>
<p>     The musicians followed her back down the steps and down to the outside area. There was a small runway with a stage at the end, and foldable chairs were set up around it. There were a decent amount of people, including a group of young men and one girl around his age who seemed to be holding posters. Win figured they were there for either the musicians, or maybe a model. He sat down on a cement bench that went around a tree and got ready to wait. </p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sing Sing Sing (Happy Birthday)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Win sings for his gig, while Tops' party with his friend goes on a little longer than expected.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Me: this work will have two fandoms with a few cameos<br/>The other fandoms: hi we're gonna make a crap ton of cameos and you can't stop us.<br/>Me: ....oh ok</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>       Win liked the voice of the female soloist, who introduced herself as Earn, but he thought the girl group was a little too peppy for his taste. He noticed as the girls were starting to finish that the models had come out. A k-pop song that Win didn’t particularly like started playing after the girls had left, and the first model came out on the runway. Once he was done, the rest of the models did what he did, striking different poses when they reached the end of the runway. Win thought it was slightly silly, but he still cheered when Neung came out wearing a different outfit than what he was wearing earlier. For some reason, a lot of girls screamed (Win thought it was probably the smile Neung was sporting). When the last girl came out, right after Neung, the group that was holding the posters let out a bunch of wolf whistles and cheers. Since the posters were just paper with paint, Win read the “I love you Manaow” poster in the girl’s hands backwards. Another poster said “Proud of you” while the last read “I could be eating chips but I am here, hope you’re happy”. Win snorted at the last one, figuring it was an inside joke. The models went back inside and the male band started up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win figured it couldn’t hurt to be ready early, so he headed to the back of the stage and made sure to tune his guitar one last time. When it was his turn, he sat down on the edge of the stage and sang a cover of a well-known song, then a song he sang with his friend when they were in high school. When he got to his last song, he decided to make sure people knew it was the end of the event.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “This is the last song of the event, so please enjoy it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      As he sang the song Tops had helped him with, Win noticed Neung in the audience, swaying along. He finished the song to a loud round of applause, then walked back to where he had left his guitar case. His eyes were starting to itch from the contacts he was wearing, so he took them out and put on the glasses he had left in his guitar case. He came out from behind the runway and looked for Neung (wearing his original outfit) who appeared to be putting away the chairs. He tapped Neung on the shoulder, moving to the opposite side when Neung turned. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Oh hi, Win. Nice glasses.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “What are you doing?” Win asked, ignoring the glasses comment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Helping put the stuff away”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Why?” Win couldn’t help but ask. That wasn’t ever a requirement for gigs. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Mmm...cause I can I guess? I did an internship this summer that taught me that there’s always something that can be done. Plus, I know someone who would be mad at me if I didn’t do anything to help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Huh. Guess I never thought about it like that. Let me help, then.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      The two of them gathered chairs until they were all stacked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I think that’s good” Neung told Win. “We don’t know where other things go, so we’ll just be in the way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Sounds good to me” Win replied cheerfully.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Ready to find some food?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Sure, I think I saw some street vendors down an alley, want to try those?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Neung made a face before agreeing, making Win wonder why he had bothered asking him if he wanted to eat with him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Why the face?” Win asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Neung looked over Win carefully, making Win feel very scrutinized and wondering if he had said something wrong. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “My boyfriend is a really good cook and since I’ve known him for years and years, I got really used to his cooking” was the explanation given after Neung had made his scrutiny.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Really??”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win couldn’t help but be surprised, which earned him a funny look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “No, don’t be offended! It’s just that my boyfriend is also a cook, isn’t that funny?” Win hastened to explain.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Really?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yeah, although I didn’t know that until we became roommates. He was the only one who would tolerate my music playing. He said it sounded nice as he was cooking. Speaking of boyfriends, I told him I would message him, so let me do that really quick.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I should text mine as well, actually. He likes to know where I’m at.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      As Win sent his messages saying the event had ended and that he would be home after his dinner and the bus ride, Neung did as well. With that task done, the two headed towards the alley where the food was. </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>      Tops was enjoying the birthday party for his friend, currently being held at a restaurant near the university, when Win messaged him on Line. It had been a slightly difficult lab (someone had set off the smoke alarm, causing Tops to mess up his measurements when he had startled) and this was a good stress reliever. He smiled at the gif Win had sent, earning him some ribbing from his friends as they chorused “Tops has a fa-en, Tops has a fa-en!” He rolled his eyes but couldn’t keep the small smile off his face. To get the attention off of himself, he reminded them that it wasn’t his birthday and maybe they should pay attention to the birthday boy. The others quickly changed targets and Tops sat back, relieved. He knew they wouldn’t care if he was dating Win (as long as Win didn’t do anything stupid), but he didn’t feel like talking about him quite yet. Later, when their relationship was more stable, Tops would tell his friends anything they wanted to know. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>       Win and Neung took a while to find food they wanted to eat, but eventually found a noodle stall, where they both ordered meatball soup. As they waited, they chatted about their upcoming gigs and ones they had done before. Surprisingly, they found out that they both had a gig at a mall on the same day, although at different stores. Win would be playing for the opening of a music store, while Neung would be taking pictures for a photography service. They were deciding to make plans to hang out that day, when the food arrived. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “My boyfriend would be totally disappointed that I ordered the plain meatball soup, so don’t tell him” Neung joked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Oh, mine would be too, so let’s not tell them. Oh darn, my glasses—“ Win said exasperatedly as they fogged up. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Why are you wearing glasses when you had contacts earlier?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “The contacts make my eyes itch after a while, so I switch to glasses once I’m done with gigs. Tops-that’s my boyfriend-likes them, so that’s nice too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Huh, guess I’m just used to mine. Cheerleading in high school meant I had to wear them for practice and the events.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “You were a cheerleader?” Win couldn’t help but be surprised at that. Neung looked nothing like what Win expected a male cheerleader to look like. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yeah, I know, no one expects the guy with this face to be a cheerleader. Or to own a cat. They also seem to think I’m a playboy for some reason, even though it took me forever-and a big misunderstanding-to kiss my boyfriend.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Really? What happened?” Win asked curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “You better tell me about your relationship if I’m going to tell you about mine!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Win nodded, so Neung told Win about how he and Kay had fought before they had the kiss that marked the beginning of their relationship as boyfriends. In turn, Win told him about how he started falling for Tops and how he knew he liked Tops for sure when he started getting jealous when other people started talking to him. As they finished their food and left, walking towards the bus stop, their conversation turned to their cook boyfriends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “What does Tops make? Main dishes or desserts?” Neung asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “He makes both, and he combines things you would never guess would work together.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Nice, Kay tends to make main dishes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      They chatted more as they waited for the bus, each privately thinking that their boyfriend’s would probably like the other’s boyfriends. When the bus came, they sat together, with Win in the aisle seat, as he would be leaving first. Win left the bus, waving as Neung waved back from inside the bus. As the bus drove away, Win saw Neung put earbuds in his ears. Win turned and headed home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       When he got home, it was only 7:10, meaning Tops wouldn’t be home for nearly an hour. Win pouted, disliking the fact that he had come home before Tops. Despite having lived alone before (in between roommates that got mad that he played music), Win had gotten very used to Tops being there. He messaged Tops on Line, tons of “miss you” stickers and sad selfies. He sulked on the couch for a while, then decided to take a shower. He hoped Tops would be back by then.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>       Meanwhile, Tops, who had been put in charge of the music, was startled to realize his phone was going to die soon. He opened up Win’s spam and was about to answer when his phone did die. He frowned, but figured it would be okay and that he would be home before eight, as it was still about an hour away. They were fairly close and he was going to be the first one dropped off anyway (they had driven to a nearby park so they could be loud for the birthday). </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hey, Tops, what’s wrong?” The birthday boy Pao asked. His newsboy cap was covered in post-its, courtesy of the others they were with.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “My phone died, but it’s no big deal” Tops replied. At least, he hoped it wouldn’t be. He had first hand experience of how dramatic Win could be. But to admit he had a boyfriend on his friend’s birthday wouldn’t be very nice, even if Pao had a (fake) boyfriend of his own, as it would put the attention on Tops. Win would just have to be in the dark for now. As far as the others knew, Win was just a roommate and didn’t need updates on where the other was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hmmm...I might have a charger...Pun! Did you bring one like I asked?” Pao called out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Dude, Pun left. Do you not remember? He said his roommate called. Something about the brothers messing up their room or something” was the answer that came back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Darn it. Sorry Tops, I tried. You know the rest of them won’t have one” Pao sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “That’s okay, thanks for trying at least”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Pao nodded and went back to snapping pictures for his social media. Tops didn’t understand why someone would fake having a boyfriend when they could have one for real, but to each their own, he supposed. He could only hope it wouldn’t hurt their relationship, whether it was platonic or if it turned romantic. The others were throwing around a frisbee, so Tops went and joined them, quickly losing track of time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hey, I’m getting bored and it’s getting late for me” Pao finally said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Oh yeah, 8:05, soooooo late” the others ribbed, but followed Pao all the same, as they had taken his car and it was get the ride now or pay for a taxi later. Tops felt the blood drain from his face, knowing he had told Win he would be home at eight. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Tops, you okay? You look a little pale” Pao asked while looking at Tops from the rearview mirror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m fine, just ready to be home” Tops replied, thankful his voice was steady. “Since *someone* set off the smoke alarm, the day just felt a little longer than usual”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hey, I said I was sorry!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     The group of friends laughed, and as Pao drove to Tops’ apartment, Tops prayed Win had found something to occupy his time that did not involve being overly dramatic.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Ten minutes later, Tops cautiously opened the door, unsure where Win would be. The house was dark, which could either be a good sign or a bad one—Tops wasn’t sure which.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Win?” Tops called out, hoping Win wasn’t sulking somewhere. He heard a thump like Win had jumped off his bed, then waited as Win came barreling down the stairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Where were you???” Win asked wildly. Tops noticed his hair was sticking up like he laid on it while it was wet—it was a cute look, which didn’t help.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Toooooops, where were you?” Uh oh, Win was starting to pout. Tops gently took Win’s hands and squeezed them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “My phone died, and we lost track of time. I’m sorry. It died just as I was about to message you, actually. So I saw all the stickers you sent” Tops said, smiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win flushed at that, like he had forgotten he had sent those. He took his hands out of Tops’ and threw himself on the couch, scowling. Tops moved Win’s legs out of the way so he could sit on the couch as well, Win putting his legs back once Tops was settled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “How was the gig? Did they like your songs?” Tops tried asking. Win, however, was being sulky and not looking at him. Tops sighed and made to get up, only to be stopped by Win. Grumbling, Win grabbed Tops’ hand and traced his life lines with his fingers, not looking at Tops.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yeah, they seemed to like the song you helped me write” Win admitted, somehow looking incredibly sulky and proud at the same time. Tops knew that that particular song was Win’s favorite, even if he wouldn’t ever admit it. The song had a special place in Tops’ heart as well, since Win had said he looked cute after writing it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “And you said you made a friend? What’s he like?” Tops asked encouragingly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “He’s a model. He said he has a cook boyfriend too” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Really? How funny!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yeah, we have a gig together again at the mall, so we decided to hang out again. You should come, he’s going to try to bring the boyfriend. You can talk recipes or whatever” Win still wasn’t quite looking at Tops, and the way he talked about Tops meeting another cook was in an incredibly bored voice, like he couldn’t care less. However, Tops knew Win. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hey. I’m not going to leave you, you know that” Tops said softly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win grunted, like he didn’t care, but he also squeezed Tops’ hand like he never wanted to let go. Tops decided he better stay where he was for a while, considering he knew that he had slightly scared Win, even though he really wanted to take a shower.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “How was the birthday party?” Win asked suddenly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Fine, Pao got covered in post-its though. Sometimes I don’t understand my friends.  But it was fun” Tops replied. “Look, I want to shower. Is that okay?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win grumbled but sat up obligingly. Tops smiled at him and squeezed his hands one last time before going to take his shower. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      When he came out, Win was looking a lot calmer and was writing lyrics on a crumpled piece of paper around his guitar. Tops sat next to him, smiling when Win decided that he would lean against him, even though there was no reason to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Feeling better?” Tops asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Mhm, I started charging your phone for you” Win said vaguely, gesturing towards the strip cord. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Tops was touched. Win could be absent-minded when he wasn’t being dramatic, so the fact that he would charge Tops’ phone meant a lot to Tops. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Working on a new song?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Mhm, I might play it at the mall gig if I like it enough”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Tops listened to Win play and figure out lyrics while reading a GQ magazine, making sure not to move so that Win wouldn’t be disturbed. The time passed pleasantly until it was time for them to go to bed. They had separate beds in separate rooms, but tonight Win was apparently clingy, as he followed Tops into his bed. Tops rolled his eyes but was happy to have Win there. Win dropped off to sleep quickly, but Tops stayed awake, marveling at his luck: a kiss on the cheek and Win in his bed, with minimal sulking! He smiled and snuggled deeper into Win’s arms, falling into a deep sleep.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yes that's Earn of 2gether<br/>The boy group is supposed to be Sunshine, Daisies, Butter Mellow but I couldn't figure out how to write it in naturally<br/>I loved Pao in YYY so I gave him some more skills</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Mall Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The four of them finally all hang out together, meeting at the mall</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Do I know if they're back to school yet? No. Is Ingredients anywhere near close to the end at this point? Also no. So they're in school.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>       With school taking up most of their time, the week went by fairly quickly, and before they knew it, the mall gig was upon them. Win woke up early and decided that he wanted to snuggle Tops before he had to share him with Neung and his boyfriend. He got out of his bed and quietly joined Tops in his. Tops rolled over and smiled at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “You ready for today?” Tops whispered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Mhm, I think you’ll like Neung and you should like another cook friend other than Pao” Win whispered back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Tops smiled softly and moved some of Win’s hair to behind his ear. “Do you want breakfast?” he asked Win.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win nodded and went to the bathroom to get ready, while Tops changed in the bedroom and went downstairs to start breakfast. He decided on pancakes and was mixing the batter when Win came down, wearing his glasses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Wearing glasses today?” Tops asked as he poured the batter into the pan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “My eyes itch today” Win pouted. He didn’t like wearing his glasses to gigs, Tops knew.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You look fine” Tops reassured him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Win looked away like he wasn’t entirely sure how to take that. He washed his hands and looked through the refrigerator for syrup, finding it in the back. He tried to take the bottle to the table, only to have Tops take it out of his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’ll warm it up for us. Go sit down” Tops said while smiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win nodded and went to the table, going through his phone. When it was all ready, Tops brought it over to Win. The two ate quickly, as they had to catch the bus that went to the mall, and it didn’t run very often. Once they were ready, they walked to the bus stop. Their neighbor was getting into his car and waved to Tops, causing Win to scowl. Tops waved back and put his arm through Win’s, which seemed to calm Win down. Tops knew Win got jealous easily and if he could keep the jealousy down, it would make for a smoother day. The bus came quickly and the two got on, having to stand, since the bus was very crowded. Fortunately, the traffic wasn’t too bad, so they got to the mall in good time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Think your friend is here yet?” Tops asked as they made their way to the music store. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I don’t know, I’ll text him. I’m not exactly sure when his gig starts though. It’s just photos to advertise the photography place” Win said as he got out his phone and started typing out a message. “I told him I’m here, not going to worry about an answer until after I’m done playing”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Tops nodded. He was curious about Win’s friend and the boyfriend that also cooked, but he didn’t want to sound too curious lest Win get too jealous. Once they found the store, Tops stayed outside while Win got the last minute details. A few minutes later, Win was set up outside with a sign that declared the opening of the store. Tops listened to several songs, then gestured to Win he was going to wander around. Win nodded, looking slightly put out. However, Tops didn’t feel like sitting anymore. He wandered the first floor of the mall, not looking for anything in particular. He passed the book store and popped in, deciding to get a new magazine. He headed back to the music store after buying the newest edition of GQ, figuring Win would be nearly done. When he got back, Win was playing the song Tops had helped him with, making Tops smile a small, proud smile. Win started packing up after he finished the song, and once he had finished the last details with the store, he made his way to Tops.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “There’s Neung” Win pointed out a young man who appeared to be trying to get his boyfriend in his arms, but was being denied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Let’s go over then” Tops suggested.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hi Neung, hi Neung’s boyfriend-that-I-forgot-the-name-of-but-I-know-you’re-a-cook” Win said once they got close enough.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Win! Hi!” The one Tops figured must be Neung gave Win a wave. “This is Kay.” Kay was wearing a polo shirt, which Win recognized as the one Neung modeled on the runway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I thought I recognized that shirt, it’s the one you modeled at the other gig, right?” Win asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yup” Neung replied. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “This is Tops, by the way” Win said as he gestured to Tops. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hi” Tops said, feeling shy. He thought Kay looked like he felt the same way: a little overwhelmed and decided they would probably become friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Shall we get lunch?” Win asked the group, now that they had been introduced.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Sure” replied the rest of the group. They headed to the food court, where they split into four different directions to get what they wanted. Win headed to a kiosk that sold Western food, passing a young man in an engineer shirt and a high schooler that were sitting down, the engineer student clearly tutoring the high schooler.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “No, Noon, the adjective goes before the noun in English” was all Win heard before he was nearly knocked down by a taller, slightly older-looking engineer student with intense eyebrows.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     "Tor, what are you doing? You know this kid likes you, right?” said the taller engineer, ignoring Win, who was spluttering indignantly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “P’Fight!” hissed the other engineer, but Win had moved on before he heard anymore.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>     Tops, holding a plate of Chinese dumplings, looked around for the other three. He saw them in various lines, so he decided to grab them a table. He sat down and placed his bag with the magazine next to him. After a few minutes, the boyfriend of Neung came over and sat across from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Kay, right?” Tops asked. “Win said you were a cook like me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “That’s right, I’m currently working at a restaurant near my apartment while I try and get to a place where I can use my recipes and not others. How about you?” Kay asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m still a student, so I tend to just try out new recipes on Win. He usually likes them,  but he can be picky.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “He can’t possibly be more picky than Neung” Kay snorted. “He basically refuses to eat street vendor food.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hey, I can’t help that your food is better!” Neung protested as he sat down next to Kay. Across from him, Win sat down as well, holding a plate with a hamburger on it, causing Tops to shake his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’re still too picky” Kay informed Neung.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops nudged Win and gave him a look, telling him he was too picky too. Win shrugged and started eating his hamburger.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Anyways, Tops, you said you were a student? Are you getting a degree and a certificate? I just got the certificate so I could go straight to work once I was done.” Kay asked Tops.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I’m getting the degree, yes. I need to start thinking of places that can improve my resume though.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hey, you could do the internship we did!” Neung interjected.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You two did an internship at the same place?” Win asked curiously. “You guys do such different things though, with the modeling and the cooking.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “It was at a hotel” Kay explained. “The top two winners got to work there. Although our first place winner got himself fired on purpose.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Neung burst out laughing at that. Win and Tops both startled, wondering what was so funny.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “What’s so funny about that?” Win asked bemusedly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Neung had tears streaming down his face and had to take a sip of Kay’s boba to calm himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “This dude. He was clearly bi but I don’t think he had any idea that he was. Do you think he knows now, Kay??” Neung started explaining.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “I mean, Pong told us he thought we were straight...” Kay said after thinking about it for a bit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Neung snorted. Win and Tops couldn’t help but look amused, which Neung apparently noticed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yeah, see? I’ve known Win a week and Tops for like...an hour now? And you guys can tell we’re together. But Akk? Four months of us working together and just no idea. Anyways, he clearly had two different crushes. One on Khun Sompai, the hotel owner’s daughter. The other on a fellow intern-male-, named Tone. Tone’s mom died and he really did deserve the internship—more than Nook, the girl who won, but whatever—so Akk decided that he would help Tone, right?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Kay jumped in. “He staged a picture with Khun Sompai where it sort of looked like they were kissing from one angle, but another angle clearly showed they were not. However, the damage was done. Tone became the worker there and Akk went back to his homestay. Although a certain someone followed him there and works there and at the hotel.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Tone, you mean?” Win asked, trying to keep track of the story.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “The very same” Neung replied. “I don’t know if anyone told Akk he also had a crush on Sompai, it was just that he liked Tone more. Or that using your girl crush to get your guy crush sounds like a very bad drama.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Win interrupted, eyes narrowed. It really did sound fake, and he couldn’t help it. “He really thought you were straight?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “He really did” Kay said solemnly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “If you don’t believe us, I can text two other interns and three baristas that can confirm this” Neung said, clearly miffed. “Although Kin apparently didn’t think we were romantically together at all either. At least he didn’t think we were straight.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “I mean, Kin is gay too...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “And Akk is bi, Pong is also bi (although his preference is guys and Akk is like 51/49) and I’m pan, what’s your point?” Neung asked pointedly. “Pretty sure Valen knew we were on our way to becoming a thing and he was the only straight one out of eight dudes. Anyways, you should check out the internship. Maybe your school has a program with the hotel, although it’s not required, considering Tone, Akk, Kin, Kay, and I were all finished with school by the time we were doing the internship.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “And Valen” Kay reminded Neung.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Valen doesn’t count, he got in because he was the nephew of the directors and you know it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Kay rolled his eyes. “Yeah, the internship was a good experience though. Looks good on your resume, as well. I can give you more information if you want, Tops.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        “I’ll consider it” Tops said, smiling. He pulled out his phone and told Kay to add his number. Kay added it and gave the phone back to Tops. Tops pretended not to notice Win and Neung nodding at each other with “we were right, our boyfriends do like each other” smirks on their faces. Win loved being proven right, and Tops assumed Neung probably did too.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>        The four finished their food, talking about their various school and job experiences. They decided to make plans to hang out again at some point, when Neung and Kay didn’t have work and Win and Tops didn’t have school. Kay told Tops to message him with any questions about the internship, while Neung reminded Win to see if he found any gigs where they could work together. They split up into their respective pairs, Neung and Kay leaving for the bus, while Win and Tops decided to watch a movie together. Win insisted on paying for the tickets, so Tops got the food. They watched a bad action movie, which Win enjoyed, while Tops seriously considered sleeping through it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>         After the movie was over, Win decided he wanted to do photo booth pictures and dragged Tops inside. For the last one, Tops was surprised to feel Win’s lips on his cheek, so he moved to look at him. However, his lips brushed Win’s, surprising them both. Win drew back but Tops brought him back into a real kiss, which Win didn’t protest. The two kissed for a while, then remembered where they were. They broke apart, slightly embarrassed, but small smiles on their faces. When they got the pictures, the last one was a picture that Win immediately resolved to keep forever, as Tops’ surprise was clear. Tops rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything, as a happy Win was much easier to deal with than a sulky Win. The two walked to the bus stop and waited, each lost in their own thoughts. They didn’t say anything until they got back to their apartment, when Tops asked Win what he wanted for dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “I’m not very hungry” Win said vaguely. It was slightly dim in the room, but it looked like Win was looking at Tops’ lips. Tops was more than happy to continue what they had done in the photo booth, so he pushed Win to the couch and lied on top of him. Win made no sounds of protest, putting his hand on Tops’ waist as Tops started kissing him thoroughly.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hello Tutor and Fighter (and Noon, I guess)<br/>Movie date Movie date Movie date</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Sample of My Pasta, Anyone?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tops and Kay cook together for the first time</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please don't hate my title lmaoooo</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>       After the mall gig, a month went by with no chance to text Kay for a cooking session, although Win and Neung had met up a few more times. School took up most of Tops’ time, while Kay worked. However, Tops finally had a free afternoon, while Win had a gig. Considering he knew how dramatic Win could get, Tops had tried to make sure to wait until Win was out of the house. He decided he might as well try one of the recipes the professor had assigned, so he went to the market for ingredients for the various recipes. Once he was back, he messaged Kay with their address, and he said he would be over as soon as he could.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      About half an hour later, Tops heard a bike and stepped outside to see if it was Kay, which it was. Tops showed him where he could put it, then they went inside. Tops noticed Kay looking around with interest and maybe a little jealousy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I already bought the ingredients for the recipes for my class, but I also bought some for us to experiment with. I thought we could do one class recipe and then experiment, since following recipes isn’t as interesting as making new ones” Tops said as they made their way to the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Okay, sounds good” Kay replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Do you want any water, Kay?” Tops asked, as Kay seemed a little tired from the bike ride.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Oh yes please” Kay answered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Tops got out two mugs and filled them with water, giving one to Kay. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “I printed out the recipes that I have to do for my class. Which one do you think we should do?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Kay looked over the various recipes and gave the one for spaghetti and meatballs to Tops, who nodded and started getting out the appropriate ingredients.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “What’s with the Western recipes?” Kay asked curiously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “My teacher seems to like those types of recipes, so that’s what we make. I prefer coming up with my own recipes, but if I want to pass this class...”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “You have to do what the teacher likes” Kay finished for him, rolling his eyes. “Are you allowed to tweak the recipe?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Sometimes, but not this time” Tops answered. He preferred it when they were, but this time the teacher wanted to know if they could follow instructions after a month of people causing grease fires and setting off the fire alarm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Kay nodded and started cutting the onions Tops put in front of him. The two of them cut vegetables in companionable silence and soon had the sauce simmering on the stove. Tops got out the meat and seasonings to make spicy meatballs, which they shaped and cooked in a pan before dropping them in the sauce. They cooked the noodles and sat down to eat what they had made. Tops thought it was probably one of the better—and easier—recipes the teacher had provided.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “So do you just make up recipes for Win to try?” Kay asked. “I do that for Neung.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Yes, and he usually likes them. Sometimes when he tries my recipes, he makes these faces like he’s surprised the combo works so well, but he was really used to eating instant noodles in the days he couldn’t find a roommate.” Win explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Why couldn’t he find a roommate?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “He’s always playing the guitar, trying to write new songs”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “People got mad at that?” Kay asked incredulously.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “I guess so, he was so relieved when he found me as a roommate. But his songs are nice to listen to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Kay nodded and twirled more spaghetti onto his fork.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Oh, Kay, I was meaning to ask you about the internship. It’s a yearly thing, right?” Tops wanted to know.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Yes, and the top two winners get to work there. I was disappointed not to win, but now I’m okay with it. I get to try out new recipes at Akk’s homestay and it still looks good on my resume, since it’s such a respectable hotel. The assistant chef there, Oam, was a winner himself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I know you chose to do it for the cooking experience, but what about Neung?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Well, the internship is three different parts. You have cooking, front desk, and cleaning duties. Two of the interns my year really did not want to do anything but front desk, which led to some ‘scandals’ so to speak. It’s a four month internship, and you get to choose which task you want to do the last month. The first three you have to do whichever task is assigned to you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “That doesn’t answer my question” Tops said with a smile. Kay apparently wasn’t used to people asking about Neung. “Why did Neung do it if he’s into modeling? I know Win asked this but you guys went into the story about the winners and never answered.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “To be honest, I think he did it because I did. We’ve been friends for so long, we tend to do major things together. It was also another thing he could put on his resume. He’s worked with customers, which employers like to see, even if it has nothing to do with what he does now.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “How long have you been boyfriends?” Tops figured it had to be a while compared to his and Win’s very recent get together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Almost a year”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Tops nodded at that, then gestured at their now empty plates. “Let’s wash these dishes and then get to the more fun stuff: experimenting.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Kay smiled and brought his plate to the kitchen. The two of them looked at the ingredients that were available and decided to make a soup. As they cut up the various vegetables, they talked about how dramatic their boyfriends could be. Kay smiled when Tops described how he had made a cake for Win’s recent birthday but the only candle in the house was a “6”, leftover from a cousin’s birthday, and in turn, Kay told Tops how Neung had a habit of eating whatever was in Kay’s hands. As they added different meats, Tops realized that he was having a lot of fun and that he would definitely want to do this again. As the soup bubbled, the two cleaned up the kitchen. When they were finished, the soup was done, so they each had a small bowl. As it was getting late, Tops kindly got out some takeout containers so that Kay could bring it home, telling Kay he didn’t need to bring them back, as he and Win had a lot of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Thank you so much for inviting me” Kay said sincerely as the two walked his bike to the main road.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Thank you for coming” Tops said warmly. “We should do it again, but next time we should cook for our boyfriends. They could hang out and watch us and maybe help—although Win insists on being Salt Bae when he helps me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>        Kay left on his bike and Tops put away the leftover soup, figuring Win could reheat it for dinner. He got out a book and was reading when Win came back from his gig.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        “Hi Win, how was your gig?” Tops asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>         “Terrible, a string broke halfway through and I had to sing with some dude named Saifah’s guitar for the gig” Win said with frustration tinging his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        “Uh oh, you have strings here though, don’t you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        “Yeah, but that didn’t help me then, did it now?” Win’s voice was rising slightly louder than he probably meant it to.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>        Tops thought it was time for quality control and brought Win down to the couch, then went to the refrigerator and brought out the soup he had made with Kay, heating it up and bringing it out on a tray. When he came out, however, Win was asleep—apparently it had been a longer day for Win then Tops had realized. He watched him sleep for a bit, then woke him up so that he could eat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Mmmmph” Win said, trying to slap Tops away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Come on, you have to eat. Kay and I made soup.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Win got up and stretched, looking grumpy. “Soup, you say?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Yes, soup”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “You aren’t going to tell me how this is good for me?” Win said, smirking slightly as he took the spoon and put it in the soup.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       “Hot foods make you feel better” Tops reminded him. “This one isn’t particularly healthy, we made it out of what we had on hand. It tastes good though, and that always puts people in better moods”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>       Win blew on his spoonful, and when he tried it, he made his usual surprised face. Tops was glad, as he knew that meant he liked it. He sat with Win as he finished the soup, then sent him up to shower. Tops washed the dishes Win had used, causing Win to yell at him to stop messing with the temperature of the water. Tops rolled his eyes good-naturedly and went upstairs to their bedroom. They had decided to move their beds together, instead of having separate rooms, which made them both happy. When Win came out of the shower, Tops went in. When he came out, Win was asleep again, despite it being early. Tops smiled and tiptoed out of the room, reading downstairs until he was ready for bed. He came back to Win star-fished over the middle of the bed, so he rolled him until he could have some room too. When he got comfortable, Win moved in his sleep until he was holding Tops, making Tops smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Saifah wasn't supposed to be in this fic, but he insisted<br/>Please Ingredients.....make my stupid fic a reality make them share a room</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Food Design</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Tops and Kay cook again, but for their boyfriends this time</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>       The weeks went by, with Win impressing girls when he decided to play his guitar in the university quad and Tops hanging out with his university friends. However, he really wanted to hang out with Kay again, deciding one Friday afternoon that he would go to the market after class and call the next morning to see if Kay and Neung could come over. He messaged Win to see if he wanted to come, and the reply was yes, so Tops waited an extra half hour for Win to come out of his English class. When Win saw him waiting outside the class, his face brightened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Ready to go?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yes, why do you want to go to the market?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I was thinking I would invite Kay and Neung over tomorrow, Kay and I could cook for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Neung and Kay over tomorrow? Sounds like fun”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops wasn’t sure if Win had heard the cooking part, but decided not to press it. They walked over to the local market, where Tops found the ingredients he thought they could use tomorrow. He wondered if Kay had any recipes he wanted to try. As they were about to head to the checkout, Tops heard his name.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “Tops! Hey who’s this?” Pao came sauntering from behind a display of vegetables, Pun and someone Tops didn’t recognize following him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “This is Win. Who’s Pun’s friend?” Tops asked, considering the other young man looked like he didn’t especially like Pao.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “I’m Nott” the third guy said, holding out his hand for Tops to shake. “I’m Pun’s boyfriend”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops was confused, considering he thought Pao was Pun’s fake boyfriend, but decided he didn’t care that much. Pun looked like he really wanted to be anywhere else, so Tops said goodbye to them, Win looking at them curiously as they left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “That Pun really gets all the guys, doesn’t he?” Win remarked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I guess. I do not understand the fake dating thing though. Just get a real faen, you know?” Tops replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     They got through checkout and walked home. Tops didn’t feel like cooking, as he knew tomorrow would likely be a long day, so they ordered takeout. Win loyally said it wasn’t as good as Tops, making Tops smile. They went to bed with no major incidents, both of them ready for the next day.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>     When Tops called in the morning (having it on speaker so Win could talk too if he so wished) Kay sounded a little harried but willing to come.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You’re free today?” Kay was confirming. Tops heard footsteps and it sounded like Neung had taken the phone from Kay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Thank you Neung” Tops heard. “Yeah, we are free today too. Do you want me to get any ingredients?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Only if you want to” Tops replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Hey, that soup you and Kay made was really good” Tops guessed Neung must have put the phone on speaker. A thud made Tops raise his eyebrows, and then the two of them heard an “Oh whoops” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “I heard that you liked it from Kay” Tops told Neung. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “What was that whoops?” Win asked, curious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Neung dropped an orange. He doesn’t seem to know food goes into his mouth, not the floor.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops and Win laughed at that, and told them they could come over at any time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “We’ll probably be over in about two hours, we’ll hit the market after breakfast and then the bus ride” Kay said before saying goodbye.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Two hours?” Win asked. “That is quite a bit of time. What are we gonna do while we wait?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Clean up a little” Tops said firmly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Win pouted and got down on his knees. “Do we have to?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Yes, we should. Be glad it isn’t too messy”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Win sulked but helped Tops as they cleaned and waited for the other two. The cleanup ended up only taking half an hour, so Tops pulled Win into the bedroom to make out with him while they waited. When Kay messaged Tops that they were on the bus, Tops regretfully pulled away from Win. Win tried to pull him down, and Tops decided that he could stay a little longer, but made sure to get downstairs a few minutes later, rearranging his clothes so it wasn’t blatantly obvious what Win and him had been doing. Win stayed upstairs, sulking that their make out session had ended. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hi, guys” Tops said cheerfully when Neung and Kay arrived a few minutes later, taking the bags from Neung. “Win is upstairs, but he should be down soon, Neung. Wow, Kay this is a lot, do you have anything in mind?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I do, but I’ll tell you in the kitchen.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Are you keeping secrets from me, Kay?” Neung pouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Maybe, but you’ll be okay, you dramatic baby” Kay teased.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You think he’s dramatic?” Tops asked with a fond smirk on his face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Who’s dramatic?” Win asked, coming from behind Tops and putting his head on his shoulder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You are” Tops informed him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Win made a face, then brightened when he saw the bags of ingredients.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You two are cooking?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops gave him an incredulous look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yes, I told you this”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I forgot” Win said with a wounded look.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Tops rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop his smile. “Go show Neung the song you’ve been working on, maybe he can help?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “No one can help as much as you though” Win pouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “Thanks a lot” Neung joked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “No offense, Neung. But clearly our boyfriends don’t love us anymore, so let us leave their sanctuary” The two went to the couch, Win grabbing his guitar.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>     “Wow you weren’t joking. Win is more dramatic than Neung.” Kay was watching them, eyebrows raised. “I would say I didn’t think that was possible, but one of our fellow interns, Kin, was definitely an over-reactor and Neung is nowhere near as bad as him.” The two of them went to the kitchen, where Tops put Kay’s ingredients on the counter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “You said you had a recipe?” Tops asked Kay as he washed his hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Mhm, I made it for Akk’s homestay and apparently people liked it. Neung has been asking me to make it for him ever since Akk told the group chat that it was the one of most popular dishes he’s had at the homestay, but I told him he had to wait.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Is it a main dish? I have an idea for a cute little dessert, and a few ideas for main dishes, but I want to hear your idea.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yup, a main dish. I don’t really do desserts, I let my friend Pharm do those”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Okay, get out the ingredients and we’ll start”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Kay washed his hands and got out some of the vegetables he had brought and asked Tops permission to go into the fridge, to which Tops said yes to easily. Tops gave Kay an apron and put one on himself. As the two washed the vegetables and marinated the meat, Win and Neung started singing, their voices floating into the kitchen over Win’s guitar playing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Hey, your boyfriend has a pretty good voice too!” Tops remarked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Yeah, well, don’t tell him.” Kay’s voice was stern, which he apparently realized, as his next sentence wasn’t as harsh. “He doesn’t want to sing and tends to stop when people tell him they like his voice. He sings for me because I like it, but good luck to anyone else who wants to hear him sing if he doesn’t want to sing for them” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>    “Got it.” Tops didn’t get why Neung felt like that, but he didn’t want to upset either of them, so he filed that information away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     As the food cooked, the apartment filled with the aroma of the meat and sauces Kay was working on. Tops had an idea for a side dish that used up some old rice that was taking up space in the fridge, as well as the instant noodles Win kept buying that Kay thought would go well with the meat and vegetables he was making. Win and Neung were laughing, apparently over some lyrics they were writing, causing their boyfriends to smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Should we get them to help with the dessert?” Tops asked Kay when they were at a good pause point.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Sure, you said it involved meringue right? They can help mix it”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Win, come help please!” Tops called out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “Okay, coming!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win and Neung came in, looking curious. Win washed his hands and half sat on the counter, listening to Tops’ instructions on how to mix the meringue. Tops gave the electric mixer to Win, watching him carefully as Win balanced the bowl in his lap. He knew his boyfriend could get over zealous when it came to helping in the kitchen. He also gave a job to Neung—adding the sugar to the egg whites—so he poured it in whenever Tops told him to. When it was all mixed, Tops put it into two pastry bags and gave one to Win and one to Neung. He told Win to make circles and Neung to make peaks on a baking sheet. When they were done with that, Tops said they could go back to writing lyrics. The two left and Tops stuck the sheet into the oven. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I think that’s it for now, Kay. Can you dry dishes as I wash them?” Tops asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “Of course. You know, if you end up doing the internship, you’ll have to wash a lot of dishes.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I would expect that, I guess. Tell me more about your internship.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Kay told him about how even though the groups were randomly picked, he had ended up with Akk every time, which was one of the reasons they had stayed in touch. Tops, in turn, told Kay about an acting class he and Win had taken their first year in college. When they finished, the timer for the meringue went off and Tops showed Kay how he made the two parts look like mushrooms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “I think everything is ready, you can call them while I plate” Tops said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Kay nodded and took off his apron, putting it on the hook Tops pointed out. He left the room and Tops heard him call out for Win and Neung. He smiled as he plated the meal, hearing a discussion about how they sat at the table. When he was done plating, Tops brought out two dishes and placed them in front of Win and Neung, then came back with his own and Kay’s. Before sitting down, Tops also got out glasses of mango juice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “What is it?” Win asked with big eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      “The mound of rice is actually rice and instant noodles, while the main dish was made by Kay, so I’ll let him explain” Tops said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “It’s beef, chicken, and ham in a sweet chili sauce, with a little bit of vinegar, mixed with vegetables” Kay explained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     Win looked at Neung, then at Tops, a questioning eyebrow raised. Tops nodded towards the plate, silently telling him to try it. Win tried a piece of chicken, while Neung started with a piece of beef.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>     “It’s delicious Kay!” Neung said with his mouth full. “I can see why those homestay people liked it, even if you wouldn’t let me try it for weeks!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>      Win’s eyes had grown big, just like Tops had predicted earlier, and was eating with gusto, while Kay smiled from Neung’s praise. Tops and Kay dug in as well, and the four of them discussed the food and other happenings in their lives. When all their dishes were clean, Tops brought out the meringue mushrooms. Win loved how they looked, being over dramatic about them, but making Tops happy all the same. As it grew cooler, Tops brought out hot chocolate, and The four of them joked around like old friends evening slowly darkened the room they were in. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Pun can get *all* the guys, gals, and nonbinary pals oh my god.</p>
<p>Hope you enjoyed the same story from a different point of view!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Win is, quite possibly, the most dramatic dude I've seen in a BL ever, and he's not even an engineer<br/>Pin is Pin from 2moons2, *not* My Engineer</p></blockquote></div></div>
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